The basket had indeed contained goodies. Beckett and Castle worked quietly at the tiny kitchen counter, cutting up the fruit and slicing the miniature loaf of whole grain bread. They stood clad in their swimwear, his grey trunks and her blue one piece. His eyes trailed up the flesh of her back, memorizing the extreme dip of the material. The cut reminded him of the dress she'd worn to her mother's event. Castle briefly wondered if she had another suit stashed away that covered even less.

"Living in New York tends to spoil you on fresh things." Castle wondered out loud as he ran a bread knife through the little loaf.

"Are you complaining?" She asked in response, her eyebrow arching in question.

"No, this is quite possibly the best smelling bread I've ever laid my hands on." He offered. "Is there butter?" Beckett set down her own knife and peered into the basket. She pulled out a little plastic box and smiled as she lifted the lid.

"Wow." He murmured. Lifting the lid had revealed a miniature stick. Stick was probably the wrong term, even if it was butter, because the salted cream had been molded into an intricate tropical flowered block. "Almost a shame to eat it."

"I agree." She smiled, but handed him a butter knife. He wordlessly spread the soft butter onto the bread. Humming as he brought it to his lips and took a bite.

Beckett drew a knife carefully through a small papaya, the juice and seeds spilling onto the counter.

"You're making a mess." He teased and brought a piece of the buttered bread to her lips. She protested at first, but he nodded. "Trust me. It's worth the calories, the butter is excused by whole grain." She answered his impossible logic with a sigh, but opened her mouth and took a bite.

"Damn." She muttered, brushing him off as he finished his piece and created a second slice. "Save some for breakfast. We can make French toast with the morning eggs."

"Good idea." He mumbled around crumbs. Mindful of her hands and the knife, he took a piece of fruit from the cutting board. Once again, making satisfied noises as he consumed the slice.

"I thought you were going to help." She provided, pointing out that he'd only done as much as slice two pieces of bread and before inhaling what he'd produced.

"I am." He provided, taking another slice from the board. Cutting a piece free, he held it to her lips. Wordlessly she opened and sucked the offering in. Enveloping his fingers and licking them clean of juice before releasing his hand and chewing her prize.

"It's good."

"Yeah." He husked, taking the knife from her hands and setting it down. Castle brought his lips to hers, lips pulling and tugging as their mouths battled hotly for the control neither liked to surrender. "You're beautiful." He whispered as he pulled a strap free. A soft moan escaped her lips as he slid the straps of her suit down and captured a sea salted breast with his mouth. Beckett wasted no time, pulling the drawstrings of his suit free and with a soft yank, they pooled to the floor. His response was instant as he released her breast and brought them both to the floor.

"I don't know what it is about you." She managed as his hand slipped into her heat, taking her suit completely away. The bumping texture of the sealed, weathered floor boards felt marvelous on her bare skin as her Castle took her higher.

"I love you." He told her as he kissed his way across her body.

"Yes." She managed as he nudged her opening with his throbbing length. "Did you want to get a condom?" She asked, thinking of the stashed they'd brought and the impossible distance of the small rooms between them.

"Pill's enough." He groaned, unable to resist the naked heat of her. She clutched at his back, her feet and back sticking to the floor as they surged together. They gasped together as he drove home, seeming to hit all the spots within her at once.

"Oh." She managed, before she recognized the hitch in his breath and his eyes slammed shut. Beckett came hard as he poured into her. Hands beside her head, he fell forward onto her, touching their foreheads together. Castle kept some of his weight off her and onto his arms, and smiled.

"Never gets old." He smirked with pride. Kate laughed softly before nudging him up and off. She nodded her agreement, dragging a towel across her damp flesh before throwing it at him. She rinsed and sanitized her hands and welded the knife again while he took his turn with a towel.

"I trust you can manage to find me a clean pair of panties."

"Damn." He protested, "I was still hoping for naked." Kate picked up the end portion of the papaya and threw the tiny Frisbee shape at him.

"Go." She ordered, but a smile stayed plastered on her face as she turned her attention to a banana.


They hadn't bothered to pull down the tarps in the bedroom portion of the little house. So it was no surprise when she looked at the clock on the side table and found it was only 7am, despite the abundance of light. Beside her, the bed was empty.

"Castle?" She called, but was met with silence. Beckett's feet padded quietly towards the front door, and out of habit, she pulled her thin silk robe over her all but nude body. At the open doorway she paused, catching a glimpse of ocean between the trees and over the small brush. Stepping down, she cleared the small curve and looked down onto the pier.

He stooped to pile a few things onto a small little cart. She'd spotted it beside the porch last night. Castle stopped and stared out at the water. His hand ran though his hair and then wiped down his face. She wondered what he was thinking before he abruptly turned and caught her eyes. They'd hear each other if they shouted, but he simply rose his hand to his lips and kissed her good morning before placing the basket on top of the drinking water jugs and heading towards her.

"Morning." She smiled, when he came to a stop at their stairs.

"Morning." His voice gruffed in return.

"I would have helped." She provided, surveying several gallons of water, and a replacement basket.

"You can help now." He softened. "I didn't want to wake you so early on your vacation."

Wordlessly they loaded the items into the little kitchen and sitting area. Replacing their empty water jugs from the previous day with freshly filled ones.

Their comfortable silence filled the room along with the hum of a small generator as he made french toast and she made coffee.

He puzzled over what to mix with the eggs, lacking milk, when she produced a small bottle of rum from the basket with triumph. Castle looked at her a bit skeptical before agreeing, adding one of the small cups of coffee creamer as well.

The egg soaked bread sizzled on the pan as he turned it. Kate debated over the small selection of coffee flavorings, thankful they'd sent the little cups that didn't need refrigeration. She only took her coffee black during brutal, unsolved cases.

"Let's eat on the porch." He offered, picking up the plates as she took the mugs of coffee. They sat at the tiny little table, watching the breeze billow through the draped fabric.

"This is amazing." She provided as a compliment. "The rum and caramel." She muttered.

"I didn't add caramel." He quirked then thought. "Maybe it was a caramel creamer, I didn't look."

They ate contently. And when she'd finished, she watched patches of turquoise water change shape as the trees swayed in the manageable breeze.

It wasn't as if she meant to ignore him, so when she realized the plates had disappeared along with Rick, she rose.

The kitchen was empty, but she could hear the whoosh and metal tinkle of the shower spray and release chain from behind the building. Taking the back steps, she sat and watched him. He startled when he spotted her.

"Sorry." She offered, but her words were lost as he rinsed the foam from his head.

"Get in." He ordered, though his voice faltered. Her smile was reassuring, as she stood and dropped her robe.